Kuerten Loses Fifth in Row

Top-ranked Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil lost his fifth consecutive match, falling to Julien Boutter of France, 7-6 (3), 6-2, Wednesday in the first round of the Swiss Indoors at Basel.

Boutter is ranked 67th. Kuerten has not won since reaching the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.

Sixth-seeded Andy Roddick struggled past French qualifier Stephan Huet, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (5). Huet is ranked 254th.

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Third-seeded Jelena Dokic advanced to the quarterfinals of the Generali Ladies tournament at Linz, Austria, with a 7-6 (3), 6-7 (6), 6-3 victory over Iva Majoli.

Fourth-seeded Nathalie Tauziat of France lost to Chanda Rubin, 6-3, 5-7, 3-6, in the second round.

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Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Patrick Rafter withdrew from next week’s Paris Masters.

Agassi, who married Steffi Graf on Monday, cited personal reasons. Sampras and Rafter have injuries.

Olympics

IOC member Gerhard Heiberg of Norway apologized for remarks casting doubt over the staging of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, saying he believes the Games should go forward.

Heiberg said his comments were taken out of context and he never meant to suggest the Games should not or would not go ahead.

Golf

Tiger Woods’ end-of-the-year tournament that pays $1 million to the winner has been increased to include 18 players because a World Golf Championship event was canceled.

The Williams World Challenge will be played Dec. 13-16 at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks.

Motor Racing

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will return the No. 3 to racing next season, using his late father’s number in two Busch Series races, sources told Associated Press.

An official announcement is scheduled for Friday at Phoenix International Raceway.

Boxing

Junior featherweight Israel Vazquez (30-2, 23 knockouts), of Mexico City and Los Angeles, and ranked No. 2 by the World Boxing Council and the World Boxing Organization, will meet Felipe Ramirez (4-4, three KOs) of Tijuana in a scheduled eight-round bout as one-half of the main event tonight at the Irvine Marriott

Welterweight Ernie Zavala (12-1, six knockouts) of Burbank will face Eduardo Castillo (5-12, four KOs) in another scheduled eight rounder as the other half of the headliner.

Jurisprudence

Jon Drummond was released on $20,000 bail a day after being arrested in Westchester on suspicion of transporting marijuana.

Drummond, a gold medalist in the 400-meter relay at the 2000 Olympics, is expected to be arraigned next month.

Miscellany

The Ice Dogs were defeated, 4-2, by the Idaho Steelheads at Boise. ... Six-time world champion Kelly Slater of Cocoa Beach, Fla., is returning to the Assn. of Surfing Professionals’ World Championship Tour after a three-year hiatus.